PURPOSE: To improve the edit job efficiency by adding information to identify picture elements to each picture element in addition to picture element data and storing the resulting information to a display image memory to use the content of the memory for the write to an image device.

CONSTITUTION: Image data read by an image reader 1 are stored in an image storage device 2 while being stored in three different areas based on three elements of one picture element such as three primary colors R, G, B or lightness, saturation and color difference. Part of data are received from the device 2 is stored in a display memory 4 to edit the image data of the device 2. The operator uses an image editing device 6 to edit the content of the memory 4 and writes the result to the device 2 and used a printer 3 to print out the data. The memory 4 has three cells per one picture element corresponding to the three areas of the device 2 and has a flag as a 4th cell. When the content of the memory 4 is written in the device 2, the content of the flag is checked and image data as to picture elements subject to change as the result of edit are transferred.